I’m a long-time educator, but I eventually got to a point in my life where I no longer wanted to be in a classroom everyday. While I still enjoyed teaching, I wanted more.  I wasn’t sure what would be next for me.

I took some short-term positions for a while, so that I could explore what interested me. At that time, my interests included writing, making a difference in people’s lives, and freedom to choose my own hours. So I explored both online and out in my community. Because I had a lack of focus, I mostly had scattered results.

It took me almost 10 years to make a decision about what I wanted to do next and to implement it. This was partly because I didn’t realize I had the right and the ability to design what suited me.  So I wasted a lot of time, energy and money. Eventually, I developed a three-step process for myself to finally get clear and get started on what I wanted to be doing next.

Step 1

First, I focused on clarity. The idea of leaving a lot of options open for myself appealed to me – I liked writing, teaching, problem solving. I enjoyed working with young children, but I liked helping adults learn, too.  But keeping everything open was  keeping me from moving forward. Also it kept me from the satisfaction of pursuing what I really wanted and having success. When I began to see this, it made all the difference in how I proceeded next.

• I put it all down on paper in  a numbered list, and looked for the similarities among my interests and divided my list into just three general categories.
• Then I turned my attention to the things that came up in my life connected with each category.
• I kept track and wrote them all down in a new list for each category – emails, stories, images, ideas, opportunities etc.
• I found that one category stood out – working with people at midlife and beyond who felt called to something new. That was my next thing, at least for now.

“Starting is the first step to succeeding.” – John C Maxwell

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Step 2

Second, I knew I had to make a commitment to pursuing my new thing.  And not just a personal commitment, but

• a public one
• one that involved at least one other person
• one that carried a substantial consequence if I didn’t follow through.

For me, it was mostly a financial commitment – investment in a website, tech tools, coursework.

“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes…but no plans.” – Peter F Drucker

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Step 3

Third, I knew the right resources would give me the confidence to achieve my dream. There’s a wealth of resource, especially online. But that worked against me in a lot of ways. Mainly, it kept me in a cycle of overwhelm, frustration and disappointment. After a lot of mistakes, I realized a few things.

• My best resources and models would be from those people who were just a few steps ahead of me, not the big successes who spent years getting to where they were.
• Resources for me had to strongly resonate. Advice from experts is good, but I discovered my path would be my own, blazed by me.
• Many different paths lead to the same end. For a while, everyone used webinars to grow their businesses. Then live workshops. Now it’s challenges. Some of these things I feel comfortable with, some not so much. I get to decide. I learned to trust that.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. – Arthur Ashe

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The three step process I developed worked for me, so I’m passionate about sharing it with others at midlife and beyond who want to get to what’s next .  If you’re ready to get started on what’s calling you, I invite you to download a step-by-step guide with email support to do just that!

You CAN start your next chapter, even though you’re not sure WHO you are anymore. Sign up below and stop worrying about figuring it all out, and start creating the new life you want and can feel good about.